Scaevola plant named ‘Cajun Blue’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named Cajun Blue, characterized by its compact and trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; freely and early flowering habit; long flowering period; and blue violet-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Scaevola aemula.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Cajun blue’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevola plant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Cajun Blue’.

The new Scaevola is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Plaquemine, La. The new Scaevola originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2001, of the Scaevola aemula cultivar Blue Wonder, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,929, as the female, or seed, parent with the Scaevola aemula cultivar Oro Blue, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Scaevola was discovered and selected by the Inventor in August, 2001 in a controlled environment in Plaquemine, La. as a single flowering plant within the resulting progeny from the stated cross-pollination.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings at Plaquemine, La. since September, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Scaevola are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the basic characteristics of ‘Cajun Blue’ which distinguish ‘Cajun Blue’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact and trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form.     -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Blue violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Blue Wonder. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Plaquemine, La., plants of the new Scaevola and the cultivar Blue Wonder differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Blue Wonder.     -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola had a more trailing plant habit         than plants of the cultivar Blue Wonder.     -   3. Plants of the new Scaevola flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar Blue Wonder.     -   4. Plants of the new Scaevola had larger flower clusters than         plants of the cultivar Blue Wonder.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Oro Blue. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Plaquemine, La., plants of the new Scaevola and the cultivar Oro Blue differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola were more compact and more uniform         in plant habit than plants of the cultivar Oro Blue.     -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar Oro Blue.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the Scaevola cultivar Newon, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,584. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in north central Texas, plants of the new Scaevola differed from plants of the cultivar Newon in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola had longer internodes than plants         of the cultivar Newon.     -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola had more serrated leaves than         plants of the cultivar Newon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new Scaevola.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Cajun Blue’ grown in a hanging basket container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves and flowers of ‘Cajun Blue’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and for the following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring and summer in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Plaquemine, La. Plants were about four months from planting rooted cuttings. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula cultivar Cajun Blue. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Scaevola aemula cultivar Blue Wonder,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,929.         -   Male parent.—Scaevola aemula cultivar Oro Blue, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to develop roots.—About four weeks at 22° C.         -   Root description/habit.—Fine, fibrous and freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Annual container and garden             plant. Compact and trailing plant habit; plants eventually             become roughly spherical in shape. Freely branching with             lateral branches potentially forming at every vegetative             leaf axil when pinched; dense and bushy plant form.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of plant plane).—About 16 to             20 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 48 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 2 to 4 cm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 4 to 6 cm. Width: About 1.5 to 3 cm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Rounded to acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Irregularly serrated. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent; somewhat leathery.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper             surface: 147A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B to             slightly darker than 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and shape.—Zygomorphic, semi-circular,             fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to             form a tubular flower throat. Flower throat open along the             upper surface exposing reproductive organs. Flowers not             persistent. No fragrance detected.         -   Flower arrangement and quantity.—Solitary flowers arise from             leaf axils with one flower per axil. Flowers held outwardly             on upturned lateral apices. Freely flowering, typically             about ten open flowers per inflorescence.         -   Flowering time.—Early flowering habit and long flowering             period; plants flower continuously from May until frost in             Plaquemine, La. Flowers typically last about one to two             weeks on the plant.         -   Flower buds.—Shape: Lanceolate. Length: About 1 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 144B overlain with 187C.         -   Perianth.—Aspect: Fan-shaped, flat. Length, fan: About             2.1 cm. Width, fan: About 3 cm. Flower throat diameter:             About 7.5 mm. Flower tube length: About 1.2 cm. Flower tube             diameter, base: About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: Five, fused at base. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Cuspidate. Margin: Entire. Length, above tube: About             1.3 cm. Width, above tube: About 5.7 mm. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; flower throat, whiskered.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 90B. When             opening, lower surface and tube: Close to 90B. Fully opened,             upper surface: 90B to 90C; color becoming closer to 90C to             lighter than 90D with development; towards the base, close             to 155D. Fully opened, lower surface: 90C to 90D. Throat:             5A. Tube: Close to 145C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: One large sepal, two             smaller sepals lateral to larger sepal. Length: Larger             sepal, about 1.2 cm; lateral sepals, about 5 mm. Width:             Larger sepal, about 7 mm; lateral sepals, about 1 mm. Shape:             Larger sepal, roughly ovate; lateral sepals, acicular,             needle-like. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Color, upper surface:             147A. Color, lower surface: 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About five. Anthers: Shape: Ovate. Length: About 1.5 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: 20C. Filament length: About             4 mm. Pollen: Sparse. Pollen color: Close to 20C. Gynoecium:             Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             1.25 cm. Style length: About 7.5 mm. Style color: Towards             the base, 145D; towards the apex, 187A. Stigma shape:             Elongate. Stigma color: Close to 155A. Ovary color: 144A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Scaevola have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Scaevola. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2 to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named Cajun Blue, as illustrated and described. 